Rail-clamp



R. E. BROWN.

' RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION men MAR. b m9. Patented May 18*1920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET WITNESSES V I INVENTOR R. ae m R. E. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP.

'APPLJCATION FILED MAR. 7, 1919. 1,340,598. e e May 18, 1920;

1 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WIT" NVENTOR (K. Q (QM 611 f R. E. BROWN.

RML CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7 1919- 1,340,598; Patenmd May 18, 1920.

7SHEETS-SHEET 3.

R. E. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1919.

Patented May 18, 1920.

1 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

llx/xinrlfl WITNESSES R. 5. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATIION men MAR. 7. I919.

Patented May 18 1920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

\ {ITNESSES R. E. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1,1?19.

PatentedMay 18,1920.

7 SHEETS- SHEET 6- wn'uassss 1 bohumf xw i Q dud/4% I Gm R. E. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 7. WW.

1,340,598. Patented y 18, 1-920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

ZZZ

i WITNESSES Rub] Hf UNITED OFFICE.

RAYMOND BROWN, OF GLEN; RIDGE, NEYV JEESEY,ASSIGNQR ;TO 11BX11 -85, PATTERSONINGORPORATED OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COLRBQF RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed. March 7,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that L'Itwn'onn E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glen Ridge, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-(linings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the lower corner of a traveling bridge to which the present invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rail clamp operating motor and gearing.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line TIL-III of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is. a detail side elevationshowing the clamp operating weight in its raised position.

Fig. 5 is a detail side view showing the one-way clutches andconnections.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing the lead ofthe weight rope.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate a modification in which the clamps engage the same track rail, Fig. 7 being a side elevation, Fig. 8 a plan view and Fig. 9 a vertical section along the line IXIX. of Fig. 8, and I Fig. 10 is a detail view through the clamping screwshaitt, its rope winding drum and the jaw actuating nuts.

The present invention is an improvement over the structure shown in the patent of Raymond E. Brown and Edward Gaines No. 1,158,672, patented September 14, 1915.

The present invention relates to an improved means for permitting a plurality of rail clamps to be brought into clamping engagement with rails of different width,

a clutching device being employed which 7 permits each rail clamp to accommodate it self to the rail irrespective of the width of the rail, within the limits'for which the apparatus is built. It frequently happens that it is necessary to replace one or more rails in the track for the traveling bridge or crane and the new rails may be of a different width from the old rails. lVhen two or more pairs of rail clamping jaws are used, the bridge maybe stopped so that one clamp is on the wider rail and the other is on the narrower rail. The equalizing device permits the clamps to have an equal grip on the wide and narrow-rail' Specification of Letters Patent.

RAIL-CLAMB.

Patented May 18,1920.

nism for producing the clamping. pressure did not lend itself to permitting the jaws. to

exert full pressure on widely varying widths of rail heads whether the. pairs of 'jaws were spaced longitudinally in the direction oi the rail or ,rails, or located side by side: I

The mechanism of the present invention allows for more widely varying widths of rail heads than that shown in the Brown and Gaines patent, and also permits the pairs of rail clamps to be spaced longitudinally in the direction of the rail, whether the pairs of clamps engage a single rail or two rails laid side by side.- The mechanism of the present inventionalso secures a de-- finite predetermined holding power at each clamp regardless of whether the clamps are applied while the bridge or crane is mov-v ing or standing still. In the particular. embodiment illustrated, the grip of the clamps is determined; by the weight which sets them. This is desirable because it is possible to overturn a moving brldge or. crane having legs of the height commonly used on coal or ore docks by stopping the trucks at the bottom of these legs too suddenly, which, may'occur when a clamping mecha:

nism is employed which employs a..cam1

or wedge device whereby. the motion of I the bridgev or crane actuates the cannon wedge.

Referring to theembodiment ofthe invention illustrated in the drawings and, particularly, to that shown inv Figs. l to 6, inclusive, reference. numeral 2 indicates one of the. legs of a traveling bridge of the type shown in the Brown and Gaines Patent 1,153,672, above referred. to,.,and to which reference may behad, the description.

and drawings in the present case being limited to features of improvement over the structureshown 1n the Brown and Games patent. The bridge leg 3 is'connected with .,1

the truck frame hwhich is supported at one end by the truck 5 traveling on the track rails 6 and 7. The wheels of the truck. 5 :are driven. by an-electric motor controlled by the operator in the cab of the bridge, as shown in the Brown and Gaines patent.

In order to lock the bridge stationary, rail clamps are employed. These rail clamps are arranged in groups of two each for engaging the two track rails. The bridge may be provided with a plurality of these groups of track rail clamps as shown in the Brown and Gaines patent. One group of rail clamps with its actuating mechanism is shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 6, two pairs ofrail clamping jaws are provided to engage the rails 6 and 7. Each pair of jaws is indicated generally by reference numerals 10 and 10 respectively. The structure of the clamp arms and screw actuated connections are the same for the two clamps 10 and 10 and in the driiwings the corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals, the parts for the clamp 10' being distinguished from those for the clamp 10 by accents. The clamp 10 comprises two lever arms 11 and 12 forming track engaging jaws, and provided with wear plates 13 where they engage the rail head. The levers 11 and 12 are pivotally connected at 15 and 16 to the connecting link 17. This connecting link 17 is carried on a truck 18 having wheels 19 and 20 running on the track 6. The truck wheels 19 and 20 engage the rail near the clamp 11 and serve to maintain the clamping jaws in a fixed vertical relation to the rail head, as described more fully in the copending application of Lewis J. Robb and Ross M. Bickley, Serial No. 285,755, filed March 28, 1919. The upper ends of the lever arms 11 and 12 are forked to span the screw shaft 21. The forked ends are slotted as indicated at 21 to receive the lugs 22 on two nuts 23 and 24, which are threaded on the screw shaft 21. The shaft 21 is oppositely threaded where the nuts 23 and 24 engage it. The slots 21 permit movement between the shaft 21, which is carried on the bridge frame, and the levers 11 and 12 which are supported on the small truck 18. When the screw shaft 21 is turned in a right hand direction as viewed in Fig. 5, the nuts 23 and 24 travel toward each other releasing the clamp 10, and when turned in counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, the nuts 23 and 24 travel away from each other to set the clamp 10 against the rail head. The shaft 21 has secured to it an arm 25 carrying a ratchet 26 engaging the ratchet teeth 27 on the interior of a gear wheel 28 rotatably mounted on the shaft 21. The structure above described is duplicated for the clamp 10, the clamp 10 having lever arms 11 and 12, which are controlled by nuts 23 and 24 threaded. on a screw shaft 21. The screw shaft 21 is provided with a ratchet bearing arm 25, which engages the ratchet teeth on the gear wheel 28', which is rotatably mounted on said shaft 21. The gear wheels 28 and 28 are connected through a counter shaft 30 having pinions 31 and 31, so that both of the gear wheels 28 and 28 are compelled to move in the same direction at the same speed. The gear wheels 28 and 28 are driven by an electric motor 32 through the speed reducing gear 33 and pinion 34. 'The clamps are released by the motor 32, which drives the gear wheels 28 and 28 in clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 5, the ratchet arms 25 and 25 being driven to rotate the shafts 21 and 21 to move the nuts 23 and 24, and 23 and 24, respectively, together, and thereby separate the clamping aws.

The clamps are set by the action of a weight 35, which is vertically movable in guides 36. The weight has a sheave 37 around which is passed a rope 38. The two ends of the rope 38 pass from the sheave 37 around pulleys 39 and 40 at the top of the guide 36, then around the respective pulleys 41 and 42 at the bottom of the guide 36. One end of the rope is wound around the pulley 43, which is splined to the shaft 21 and the other end of the rope is wound around the pulley 43 which is splined to the shaft 21. The rope is wound around the pulleys 43 and 43 in such a direction as is shown in Fig. 5, so that the pull of the weight 35 will rotate the shafts 21 and 21 in a counter-clockwise direction to separate the nuts 23 and 24, and 23 and 24, respectively, and set the clamps 10 and 10. At the top of the weight carrying guide 36 is a switchactuating arm 50, on which is hung a rod 51, which is actuated by the weight 35 when in its uppermost position so as to turn the arm 50. The arm 59 controls a switch which inserts resistance into the circuit of the motor 32, stopping the motor, but allowing sufficient current to go through the motor armature to hold the weight 35 in its raised posi tion. The construction and operation of this switch. is shown in the Brown and Gaines patent and is not described in detail here. The other electrical connections for the motor 32 are the same as those shown in the Brown and Gaines patent and are arranged so that a resistance is put in series withits armature, so that the motor acts as a generator and by dynamic braking con trols the downward movement of the weight when the controlling circuit of the motor 32 is opened to release the weight and permit it to set the brakes.

The operation of the clamp controlling mechanism is as follows :Suppose both clamps are set and it is desired to release them. The operator in the cab throws the switch for the motor 32, which motor, through the speed reducing gearing, turns the gear wheels 28 and 28 in clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5. The ratchets 26 and 26 are engaged by the ratchet teeth 27 and 27 driving the arms 25 and 25 and shafts 2,1 and 21 both in clockwise direction. The pulleys 43 and as are both turned to wind in the ends of the rope 38 and raise the weight 35. At the same time, nuts 23 and 24, and 23 and 24. are turned together and the clamps and 10 released. The motor continues to run until the weight reaches the top of the guides 36', whereupon the arm 50 is turned, operating the switches to insert resistance into the motor circuit, stopping the motor and retaining the weight in its elevated position as described in the Brown and Gaines patent. The bridge is now free to travel along the tracks. hen the bridge is to be locked in stationary posisition on the tracks, the operator throws his controller to open the circuit of the motor 32. The weight thereupon is free to descend. The weight 35 falls, its speed being regulated by the braking action of the resistance in series with the motor armature, as described in the Brown and Gaines patent. The descent of the weight pulls the rope 38, turning the pulleys 43 and 43 in counter-clockwise direction. The pulleys 43 and 4:3 drive the screw shafts 21 and 21 in the same directionto separate the respective pairs of nuts 23 and 2 1, and 23 and 24, to bring the jaws of the clamps 10 and 10 together. The arms and 25 are driven by the shafts 21 and 21, turning the gear wheels 28 and 28 which are free to turn, driving the motor 32 backward. This continues until one of the clamps 10 or 10 is brought into clamping engagement with a rail head. Suppose, for example, that the head of the rail 6 is wider than the head of therail 7, then the'jaws of the clamp 10 will be brought into clamping engagement before the aws of the clamp 10. When this occurs, the screw shaft 21 is held stationary and the rope cannot unwind farther than the pulley 43. The shaft 21, however, can turn, since the clamp 10 has not been brought into clamping engagement with the head of the rail 7 The rope, therefore, con

tinues to unwind. from the pulley 43, continuing the turning of the screw shaft 21. The movement of the shaft 21 continues the turning of the arm 25, continuing the counter-clockwise movement of the gear 28. Thismovement is transmitted through the counter shaft to the gear 28, which moves in a. counter-clockwise direction, asviewed in Fig. 5, the ratchet. 26 permitting the gear 28 to move independently of the shaft 21 and ratchet carrying arm 25. This movement continues, the gear 28 moving idly until the clamp 10 is brought into clamping engagement with its rail head, whereupon the movementof the shaft-21 isarrested.

The two clampslO and 10 arenow both held in clamping engagement with the heads of their respective track rails, the pressure of the clamping engagement being determined by the weight 35. If, on the other end, the head of the rail 7 should be wider than the head of the rail 6, the iaws of the clamp 10 will be first brought into clamping engagement with the rail head, locking the screw shaft 21 but permitting the screw shaft 21 to turn. Under these circumstances the ratchet 26 will permit the gear wheel 28 to turn idly until the shaft 21 has brought the clamp 10' into clamping engagement -with the narrower rail head.

As will be seen by the above description, the independently weight-driven pulleys 43 and as, together with the ratchets 26 and 26, furi'iish an equalizing means which permits the two clamps 10 and 10 to accommodate themselves to the rail heads of different widths, the clamps gripping the rail heads with the same pressure when they are both finally set. This arrangement permits the clamps to accommodate themselves to rail heads of widely different widths because when one of the pulleys 43 or 43 is held stationary by the setting of its clamp, the other pulley will continue to turn until this clamp is brought into engagement with the narrower rail. The pulleys and 4-3, together with the shafts 21 and 21 and the nuts mounted thereon, form two separate mechanisms for moving the clamping jaws, the pulley 43 operating independently of the pulley a3 and vice versa. This permits thev clamps 10 and 10 and their shafts 21 and 21, to be spaced longitudinally along the track rail or rails and out of line with each other.

When the clamps are being released, the two screw shafts 21 and 21. are driven by the motor and the train of gears as a single driving means, the ratchets 26 and 26 looking the gear wheels 28 and 28 to the respective shafts 21 and 21 for movement in this direction. hen, however, the movement is reversed and the shafts 21 and 21 are driven to set the clamps, the two rope pulleys l3 and 4:3 serve as independent driving means for their respective screw shafts, since one pulley may continue its motion entirely independently of the other pulley.' So long as the two sets of clamping jaws 10 and 10 are both out of clamping engagement with the rail heads and are therefore free for closing movements, the two rope pulleys 43 and 4.3 turn the shafts 21 and 21 with their respective gearwheels 28 and 28 at the same speed since the motor 32, acting as a brake, is the principal mechanical resistance encountered. During this part of the closing movement of the clamping jaws, both the pulleys as and 43 cooperateto drive the motor and the ear train backward, the ratchets 26 and 26 both serving to drive the gear wheels 28 and 28' from the shafts 21 and 21, which are being driven by the pulleys 23 and 23, respectively. When, however, the rotation of one of the shafts, say the shaft 21, is checked by the rail engagement of its pair of clamping jaws 10, the ratchet 26 carried by this shaft permits the independent driving of the pulleys 4-3 and 13 to take effect, the pulley 13 continuing to drive the shaft 21 after the shaft 21 has become stationary, the ratchet then permitting the gear 28 to be driven idly by the gear 28', which is still being moved by its shaft 21'. This independent movement continues until the second pair of clamping jaws 10 are brought into clamping engagement with the rail head. lVhile the single weight 35 with the rope 38 having its two ends wound around the pulleys 43 and 13, is the preferred means for permitting the independent driving of the shafts 21 and 21. to set the clamps for rail heads of unequal width, as described above, it is obvious that other means might be employed, provided it served the purpose of continuing the drive of one of the shafts 21 or 21 after the other shaft had become stationary upon the setting of its clamping jaws. lVhile the means for permitting the continued. rotation of one of the clamping aw shafts aft-er the other clamping jaw shaft has become stat-ion. ry is shown, as one-way ratchet clutches carried by the shafts, it is obvious that other means might be employed. Also, while the invention is illustrated as embodied in means for actuating the two pairs of clamps, it is obvious that more than two pairs may be used.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 is illustrated a modification in which two clamps are arranged to grip a single rail. Referring to this modification, the two clamps 110 and 110 are arranged to engage the head of a single rail 106. The clamps have substantially the same construction as that heretofore described.

Referring to Fig. 9, clamp 110 has lever arms 111 and 112 connected. by a link 117. The upper ends of the arms 111 and 112 are forked and slotted to receive the lugs 122 carried by the nuts 123 and 124:, which are threaded on a shaft 120. The shaft 120 carries an arm 125 provided with a ratchet 126 engaging ratchet teeth 127 on the interior of a gear wheel 128, which is mounted to rotate on the shaft 120. The clamp 110 is similarly actuated, the corresponding parts being indicated by corresponding numerals but with accents.

The links 117 and 117', which support the clamping jaws, are supported at the ends of a single truck 118 which rides on the rail 106. The gear wheels 128 and 128 are driven by a motor 132 through the pinion 134 and speed reducing gear 133. The screw shafts 120 and 120' are provided with pulleys 1 13 and 1-13 around which are wound the ends of a rope 138, the middle of which rope passes around a sheave carried by a weight, corresponding to the sheave 37 and weight 35 as shown in Fig. 5. The operation of the modified structure shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 is the same as that above described, the only essential difierence in this modification being that theclamps are arranged so as to grip a single track. When the clamps 110 and 110 grip the head of the 521.1118 rail, the equalizing means will not in general be brought into play. However, if there are rails in the same track of varying width, and one clamp engages one rail and the other clamp another rail, the equal izing means will be brought into play.

1V hile the preferred. embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to its preferred embodiment but may be embodied in other constructions of rail clamps within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. Ina rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination with a frame, of a plurality of sets of clamping jaws, a separate jaw-moving mechanism for each set of jaws, a common means for positively actuating each jaw-moving mechanism in the direction for releasing the clamps, and means including an equalizing device for actuating each aw-moving mechanism in the direction for setting the clamps by the amount necessary to engage each set of jaws with the rail, irrespective of the varying width of the rail; substantially as described.

2. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of a plurality of sets of clamping jaws, a screw for moving each set of clamping jaws, and means for actuating the several screws comprising an equalizing device for turning each screw the amount necessary to bring the jaws into clamping engagement with the particular rail engaged; substantially as described.

8. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination .of clamping jaws, means for releasing the jaws, means for setting the jaws, and means including a one-way clutch for connecting the releasing and setting means; substantially as described.

4-. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of clamping aws, and means for actuating the jaws comprising a threaded shaft, nuts threaded on the shaft and connected with the jaws, a pulley secured to the shaft, a weight, a rope suspending the weight and wound around the pulley to turn the pulley to set the jaws, a wheel mountedto turn on the shaft, acne-way clutch mechanism connecting the shaft and wheel, and means for turning the wheel to release the jaws; substantially as described.

I 5. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of a plurality of sets of clamping aws, means for moving each set of paws comprising a screw threaded shaft and nuts carried thereon connected with the clamp jaws, a system of connected gearing comprising a gear rotatably mounted on each shaft, a one-way clutch connecting each gear and shaft, means for driving the gear system to open the clamp jaws, the one-way clutches locking the shafts to the gears, and means for rotating the shafts in the opposite direction to close the clamp jaws and through the oneway clutches driving the gear system in the reverse direction until all of the clamps have been set, the one-way clutches permitting the idle reverse movement of the gear on a shaft which may have become stationary upon the setting of its clamp prior to the setting of the remaining clamp or clamps, substantially as described.

6. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of two sets of clamping jaws, means for moving each set of clamp jaws comprising a screw threaded shaft and nuts carried thereon connected with the clamp jaws, a system of connected gearing comprising a gear rotatably mounted on each shaft, a one-way clutch connecting each gear and shaft, means for driving the gear system to open the clamp jaws, the one-way clutches locking the shafts to the gears, and means for rotating the shafts in the opposite direction to close the clamp jaws and through the one-way clutches driving the gear system in the reverse direction until all of the clamps have been set, comprising a pulley connected with each shaft, a rope having its ends wound around the pulleys and a weight connected with a sheave at an intermediate point of the rope, the one-way clutches permitting the idle reverse movement of the gear on a shaft which may have become stationary upon the setting of its clamp prior to the setting of the other clamp; substantially as described. i

7. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of a plurality of clamps, a common means for releasing the clamps having a one-way clutch connection with. each clamp, and means for setting the clamps operating to continue the movement of the remaining clamp or clamps after one clamp has been set; substantially as described.

8. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of a plurality of clamps, a common means for releasing the clamps having a one-way clutch connection with each clamp, and means acting independent on each clamp for setting the clamps and driving the opening means backward through the clutch connections, said clutch connections permitting the continued backward movement of the releasing means when one clamp is set and another not yet set; substantially as described.

9. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, thecombination of a plurality of clamps, a shaft for moving the jaws of each clamp, a common driving means for turning the shafts to open the jaws having a one-way clutch connection with each of said shafts, and means for turning the shafts and common driving means in. the reverse direction to close the jaws, having provision for continuing the movement of the remaining shaft or shafts after the movement of one shaft has been arrested by the closing of its clamping jaws, the one-way clutch connection permitting a 'slip between the stationary shaft and the common driving means which is being driven in the reverse direction; substantially as described.

10. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of a plurality of clamps, a common means for releasing the several clamps, and means for setting the clamps operating to continue the setting movement of the remaining clamp or clamps after one clamp has been set; substantially as described.

11. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of a plurality of clamps, a motor and connections between the motor for simultaneously releasing the several clamps, the motor and its connections with the clamps being arranged to be driven in a reverse direction when the clamps are being set, and means for setting the clamps having provision for continuing the setting movement of the remaining clamp or clamps after one clamp has been set, the connections between the motor and the several clamps permitting the continued setting movement of the remaining clamp or clamps and the continued drive of the motor in the reverse direction after one clamp is set; substantially as described.

12. In a rail clamping device for traveling bridges and cranes, the combination of a plurality of clamps, means for moving each clamp to release or set it comprising a shaft, means for driving the several clamp shafts to release the clamps comprising an electric motor and gear connections to the several shafts, the gear connections and mo tor being arranged to be driven in a reverse direction when the clamp shafts are rotated in the reverse direction to set the clamps,

and means for turning the several clamp permitting the motor to be driven in the shafts to set the clamps, having provision reverse direction While one clamp shaft is for continuing the movement of the restationary and. another is moving substan- 10 maining shaft or shafts after the one shaft tially as described.

has become stationary upon the setting of In testimony whereof I have hereunto set its clamp, the connections between the momy hand.

tor and clamp shafts having provisionfor RAYMOND E. BROWN. 

